Knitting machine



July 9, 1940. E J, BERGER 2,207,606

KNITTING MACHINE Filed July 8, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 JTJG E @mmh W I TN ESSES l N VEN TOR yJuly 9, 1940- E. J. BERGER 2,207,606

KNITTING MACHINE Filed July 8, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

A TTORNE YS.

' nanna July a mo KNITTING MACHINE Emil J. Berger, Hatfield, Pa., assigner to Dexdale Hosiery Mills, Pennsylvania e, Pa., a corporation of Application July s, 193s, serial No. 2s3,41o

6 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines; and it has reference more particularly to straight knitting machines cf the Cotton type such as are commonly used to produce flat fashioned blanks for stockings and the like.

The chief object of my invention is to make it possible to progressively vary the size of the loops in individual courses of the fabric produced on machines of the kind referred to, either concurrently with widening and narrowing operations, or with reinforcing operations, or both. 'I'his objective I attain, as hereinafter more fully disclosed, through provision of simple and reliable control mechanism whereby during traverse l5 of the yarn carriers, the needle bar of the knitting machine is gradually moved relative to the sinkers to cause sinking of more or less yarn as the,

case may be and thereby determine correspondingly graduated loops in individual courses. My m present invention is particularly advantageous in connection with the production of full fashioned stockings for the purpose of rounding out the heel tabs and thereby predetermining fuller and better fitting heels in the ilnlshed product. g5 Another object of my present invention is to attain the foregoing advantages with control mechanism which lends itself to ready incorporation in standard types of flat knitting machines without entailing any changes either in their cona0 struction or normal mode of operation. Other objects and advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. I is a fragmentary view in cross section of 35 a fiat knitting machine embodying my invention. Fig. II is a fragmentary view of the machine partly in elevation and partly in section taken as indicated by the angled arrows II--II in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a diagrammatic plan view of the mao chine showing a stocking blank in the process oi formation.

Fig. IV is a detail view on a larger scale looking as indicated by the angled arrows IV-IV in Fig. II.

Fig. V is a view looking toward the right of Fig. IV.

Fig. VI is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the arrows VI--VI in Fig. IV.

Fig. VII is a fragmentary view showing the foot 50 portion of a stocking produced in the machine,

(ci. ss-s2) type featured 1n U. s. Patent No. 1,982,991, grantedl is maintained in running contact with the periphery of a rotary cam I0 on the main cam shaft Il of the machine. By this means, the needles I2 are moved up and down relative to the sinkers I3 to form the fabric loops in the usual Way. Fast on the main cam shaft IH is another rotary cam I5 on which travels a roller I6 at the end of a spring-pulled arm I I freely fulcrumed onthe 'rock shaft 4. Through a notched horizontal link I8, the arm Il is detachaloly coupled with a pendant arm i9 fast on the pivot rod 2 for the needle bar I so that, under the action of the cam I5, the needles I2 are moved in and out relative to the sinkers i3 to normally produce fabric loops of predetermined uniform size in a manner also well understood. The machine has a plurality of horizontally-arranged endless bands of which but three are shown respectively at 26, 2i and 22 in Figs. I and III, with eyes a, aia and 22a by which'diferent yarns are fed to the needles. The band 2@ may be assigned, for example, to feed the main yarn used in the knitting, and the bands 2i, 22 to respectively feed the yarns used in reinor'cing the heel cheeks H (Fig. vl) during the knitting of the blank B for the stocking.' By suitable means (not illustrated) the bands 20--22 are oscillated to carry the yarns back and forth along the needles I2. Alxed to the bands 2U, 2 I, 22 at the rear of the machine are stops 2Gb, 2Ib

and 22h which are arranged to coact with abutment members 23, 24, thereby to limit the outward movement of the yarn eyes 20a, 2 Ia and 22a in opposite directions. The abutment members 23, 24 are lslidable along a longitudinally extending guide rod 25 secured at its opposite ends in xed brackets 2G, 21, and are shiftable toward or away from each other by a reversely rotatable screw spindle 28 with right and left hand threads 28a, 28h, to variantly limit the travel ofthe thread guide bands 20, 2I and 22 as required to narrow or widen the stocking blank. As shown, the screw spindle 28 is journaled at opposite ends in the fixed brackets 26, 2I.l The inward'movement of the reinforcing yarn eyes 2 Ia, 22a is limited through engagementof the stops 2lb, 22h

on the bands 2|, 22 with abutments 29, 3@ projecting laterally from opposite sides of a xed central bracket 3l which provides a medial bearing 32 for the screw spindle 28 and also a medial support 33 for the guide rod 25. The means for rotating the screw spindle 28 in opposite directions to vary the positions of the abutments 23, 2li, may be like the mechanism provided for that purpose in the Howie et al. patent supra, and has therefore been omitted from the drawings.

The loop regulating mechanism of the machine includes a longitudinal shaft 35 in the lower part of the machine frame at the front, whereto is secured an arm 36 with an adjustable pin 3l in its end for limiting movement of the roller arm Il in the direction toward the main cam shaft Il. A second arm 38, which is normally loose on the regulating shaft 35, has a pin and slot connection at 39 with the lower end of a cam follower in the form of an arm lil which is freely fulcrumed on and slidable along a horizontal shaft et at a higher level at the front of the machine in opposition to a spring Ma (Fig. II). A lateral rounded protuberance de on the arm iB is adapted to be engaged by outwardly-tapering cam wing projections el, t2 arranged in pairs at diametrically opposite points, on the inner face of a disk i3 which is fast on a stub shaft t5 journaled in a hearing fit on the end frame 5 of the machine. The stub shaft d5 is driven at half the speed oi the main cam shaft il through a pair of intermeshing spur gears designated at @l and it in Figs. I and II. Pivoted at t9 to a fixed collar il@ on the loop regulating shaft 35 is a clutch arm 5l which is arranged to be controlled from the pattern mechanism (not shown) of the machine by a link rod 52. Ordinarily the clutch arm 5i occupies the position shown in Fig. I, with its inner end out of contact with a screw 53 which is adjustable in the tail 33a of the arm 38. Thus, normally, the arm El is ineffective to move the regulating shaft 35 notwithstanding impartation of movement to the arm '30 by the segmental cam wings fil, 62 on the rotary disk di. However, when the clutch arm 5i is moved downward at the commencement of the heel tab reinforcing stage of the knitting, the loose arm 38 is moved clockwise slightly about the regulating shaft 35 by action of clutch arm 5! upon the-screw 53 in the lug 38a of the arm 33 exactly as in the Howie et al. patent hereinbefore referred to. As a result, the arm 36 is moved counterclockwise and through its pin 3l moves the roller arm il in a direction away from the main cam shaft H, to cause formation of larger loops in the reinforced portions oi the stocking to compensate for the added thickness of the reinforcing or splicing yarns.

The usual means for determining the configuration of the inner boundaries of the heel and foot reinforcements of the stocking blank includes a heart shaped cam 55 (Fig. I), which, together with a ratchet wheel 5B, is xedto a shaft 51 at the back of the machine. By means of a pawl 58 on an arm 59 which has a roller 60 engaging another rotary cam 6I on the main cam shaft il, the ratchet Wheel 56 is intermittently rotated. Normally, the pawl 58 is held retracted from the ratcheted wheel 55 by a pawl guard 62 arranged to be operated through a exible rod or wire 63 from the pattern mechanism (not illustrated) of the machine. Resting on the heart shaped cam 55 is a roller 65 which is carried at the lower end of the carriage 66 confined to up and down movement in a xed guide 61 on a fixed frame member 68 of the machine. By means of flexible rods or wires t9 and 'l0 (Fig. III), the movements of the carriage 66 are transmitted to the stops 29 and 30 to eect a gradual increase in the traverse oi. the splicing yarn guide bands 2i and 22 as the knitting of the heel cheeks progresses. Also connected to the carriage 66 is another exible wire or rod ma for shifting the arm t0 back and forth along the shaft M in accordance with the 'dictates of the heart shaped cam 55.

In order to adapt a knitting machine such as described up to this point to the purpose of my invention, the cam wings il and t2 of the respective pairs (Figs. I, IV and V) are oppositely pitched with their outer surfaces eccentric to the axis of the disk 83 instead of being concentric as ordinarily. While the wings di, d2 may be integral with the disk d3, I prefer to make them as separate elements and to provide for their independent adjustment both circumferentially and angularly of said disk. As shown in Fig. V, the rear edges flic, a32e, of each pair of wings El, 2 are square with the inclined side edges, and projecting from them near to the inclined edges Mb, @2b and in parallelism with the latter, are pivot studs il and 'F2 which extend into receiving apertures in mounting block 'i3 and 'It attached to the disk d3. As shown, the cam wings il and i2 are held in place by retaining set screws did and @i211 which are threadedly engaged in the blocks 73 and 74 and which extend into circumferential grooves in the studs il and l2. As shown, the cam wings 4l and 42 are formed with lugs 'F5 and 76 which overhang the periphery of the disk 63. By means of screws 17 and i8 respectively engaged in the lugs 'l5 and 76 and bearing against the periphery of the disk d3, the cam wings tl and Q2 may be angularly adjusted about the axis of the studs 'il and 12. As instanced in Fig. VI, the curved inner edges of the mounting blocks 73 and 'M engage a circumferential recess 19 on the hub of the disk d3, and each of them is formed with an arcuate ridge 8| which ts into an annular groove 82 in the face of the disk. Cap bolts 83 and 86 passing through arcuate slots 85 and 8% in the disk 133 and engaging into the mounting blocks i3 and 7d, serve to secure the latter in circumferentially adjusted positions.

In producing the blank for a stocking, the leg portion may be formed in the usual way down to the line b-b in Fig. VII, whereupon the reinforcing yarn carrier bands 2i and 22 are set into action and the clutch arm 5I is operated to clutch the roller arm 38 to the loop regulating shaft by means (not shown) provided for that purpose on the machine. 'I'he shaping of the outer edges of the heel cheeks H' is, of course, determined by gradual increase in the outward travel of the yarn guide bands 20, 2| and 22 through rotation of the screw spindle 28 in one direction for a time, and then by gradual decrease in the travel of said bands for a time. 'Ihe shaping of the inner edges of the reinforced heel portions is, on the other hand, determined through control of the inner stops 29 and 30 for the reinforcing yarn guide bands 2| and 22 by termine progressive loop enlargement in individual courses in opposite directions outwardly from the lines :v-:r (Fig. III) marking the inner limits of the reinforcements, to the selvages. It will be evident, therefore, that with a knitting machine embodying my invention, it is possible to produce stocking blanks with improved rounder and fuller profiled heels as expeditiously and economicaly as stockings having heels of the conventional types.

'I'hrough the adjustment facilities provided as hereinbefore described, it will be seen that the cam wings 4| and 42 may, on the one hand, be accurately positioned on'the disk 43 for proper coordination with the action of the heart shaped cam 55, in determining starting of the loop enlargement from the line :t-, and on the other hand to vary the rate of progressive enlargement of the loops in the individual fabric courses.

By keeping the heart shaped cam 55 stationary with its high point up, stockings with a square top heel such as shown in Fig. VIII may be formed with equal facility by the machine. It is furthermore possible by differently shaping the inner edges of the cam wings 4I and 42, to determine progressive lengthening of individual fabric courses C'-C from the front center of theinstep to the heel selvages as also shown in Fig. VIII, as will be readily understood by skilled knitters.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a knitting machine, the combination of a series of needles; a series of cooperative sinkers; a reciprocating yarn carrier for feeding yarn to the needles to produce a flat web; a pair of reciprocating auxiliary yarn carriers for forming reinforced marginal areas along the side edges of the web; means for moving the needles toward and away from the sinkers to determine fabric loops of normal size, including a rotary cam and a cooperating roller arm; control means for varying the throw of the auxiliary carriers to ornamentally configure the inner boundaries of the reinforcements; and mechanism for changing the position of the roller arm relative to the last mentioned cam to determine progressive variation in the size of the fabric loops in individual courses within the reinforced areas.

2. A knitting machine according to claim 1, in which the control means includes a rotary cam' with a pair of circumferentially spaced wings affording opposingly arranged segmental surfaces eccentric to the cam axis, the contiguous inner edges of said wings being shaped to define the configuration of the reinforcements, and means for shifting the follower back and forth along the cam wings.

3. In a knitting machine, the combination of a series of needles; a series of cooperative sinkers; a reciprocating yarn carrier for feeding yarn to the needles to produce a at web; means for changing the throw of the yarn carrier to shape the web; means for moving the needles toward and away from the sinkers to determine fabric loops of normal size, including a rotary cam and a cooperative roller arm; and control mechanism for changing the position of the roller arm relative to the cam to determine progressive variation in the size of the fabric loops of individual courses outwardly in opposite directions from within the web toward its side edges. said control mechanism including a rotary cam with opposingly-arranged segmental eccentric surfaces, a follower in the path of said surfaces, and interposed means for transmitting the movements of the follower to the roller arm.

4. In a knitting machine, the combination of a series of needles; a series of cooperative sinkers; a reciprocating yarn carrier for feeding yarn to the needles to produce a flat web; means for changing the throw of the yarn carrier to shape the web; means for moving the needles toward and away from the sinkers to determine fabric loops of normal size, including a rotary cam and a cooperative roller arm; and control mechanism for changing the position of the roller arm relative to the cam to determine progressive variation in the size of the fabric loops of individual courses outwardly in opposite directions from within the web toward its side edges, said control mechanism including a rotary cam with segmental wings having opposingly arranged segmental eccentric surfaces, means whereby the wings can be adjusted for eccentricity, a follower in the path of said wings, and

.interposed means for transmitting the movements of the follower to the roller arm.

5. In a knitting machine, the combination of a series of needles; a series of cooperative sinkers; a reciprocating yarn carrier for feeding yarn to the needles to produce a flat web; means for changing the throw of the yarn carrier to shape the web; means for moving the needles toward and away from the sinkers to determine fabric loops of normal size, including a rotary cam and a cooperative roller arm; and control mechanism for changing the position of the roller arm relative to the cam to determine progressive variation in the size of the fabric loops of individual courses outwardly in opposite directions from within the web toward its side edges, said control mechanism including a rotary cam with wings having opposingly arranged eccentric segmental surfaces, means whereby the wings `may be adjusted about axes substantially in line with their contiguous edges to vary their eccentricity, a follower' in the path of said wings, and means for transmitting the movements of the follower to the roller arm.

6. In a knitting machine, the combination of a series of needles; a series of cooperative sinkers; a reciprocating yarn carrier for feeding yarn to the needles to produce a flat web; means for changing the throw of the yarn carrier to shape the web; means for moving the needles toward and away from the sinkers to determine fabric loops of normal size, including a rotary cam and a cooperative roller arm; and control mechanism for changing the position of the roller arm relative to the cam to determine progressive variation in the size of the fabric loops of individual courses outwardly in opposite directions from within the web toward its side edges, said control mechanism including a rotary cam with a pair of circumferentially spaced wings affording opposingly arranged segmental surfaces eccentric to the cam axis, and interposed means for transmitting the movements of the follower to the roller arm.

EMIL J. BERGER. 

